Darius Kovachevich

In loving memory of a true and dear friend Darius Kovachevich


I met Darius more than 30 years ago. It was a professional acquaintance that soon grew into a deep and sincere friendship.

His gentle, measured and faithful nature as well as his subtle character had to leave a lasting impression on every person who met him.

Under the veil of a withdrawn, quiet man, seemingly shy, hid a brilliant, sharp scientific mind.

Darius was a particularly gifted engineer. His talents were recognized by many illustrious institutions, among them the American Engineering Institute that bestowed on him the Gold Medal; the Canadian Engineering Institute proclaimed him the Engineer of the Year, some twenty years ago, for a project close to the North Pole that he led for Bechtel of Canada. Due to his engineering accomplishments he also received the Order of Canada.

One project we were working on together sticks in my mind. We had a technical problem that we could not resolve for weeks. One day, after midnight, Darius called me, in a state of excitement, to tell me that he has found the solution. He said that driving from Toronto he remembered the calculations of Prof. Bošnjakovic, our Thermodynamics professor at the University of Zagreb, some 35 years ago, and that our problem required the same type of solution. Those were the qualities of engineer Darius - brilliant, faithful and generous.

His passing brought sadness but his memory will live forever.

Farewell my friend, may you rest in peace in the Croatian soil to which you are returning.

As indicated in the verse below, may Jesus, our lighthouse, continue to lead you.

„While the tides ebb and flow, the trusted lighthouse shows us the way."


Domagoj Kljajo

January 17, 2009

Translated from Croatian by Vesna Blazina

My thoughts and prayers are with you in your time of grief. May your memories bring you comfort.